Bag-type package to be torn for easy access to the product

ABSTRACT

A sachet-shaped tear-open package for rapid access to a packaged product, having at least one sealed seam with a weakening in the form of a notch or groove as a tearing aid, whereby the weakening has an additional gripping and opening aid in the form of at least one punch-out, aperture, embodied next to the weakening, is characterized in that a rim of the punch-out has an at least partially serrated contour.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a sachet-shaped tear-open package for rapidaccess to a packaged product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A multitude of packaging forms such as three- or four-side sealed bags,tubular bags, satchel bags and flat-bottom bags are known which areproduced of various materials, e.g. mono-materials or compositematerials, and made media impermeable by means of gluing, sealing orwelding.

The packaging materials employed for these packages generally are madeof composite materials, which have an object of hermetically shieldingthe product and especially of preventing the permeation of vapor andgases. However, these characteristics also result in a higher strengthof the packaging material, so that these composite materials are verydifficult to tear and can only be torn under exertion of a relativelyhigh force.

Thus, cutting tools such as scissors, knives or cutters, which are oftendisadvantageously not present on the spot, are often necessary foropening these packages. On the other hand, auxiliary constructions suchas notches, grooves or serrations can reduce the above mentioneddifficulties, but cannot satisfactorily eliminate them.

In certain fields of application, e.g. medicine, the above describedpackages must be opened with gloves, which often have slippery productresidue adhering to them, so that a holding strength of the fingers doesnot suffice even for tearing open notches, and the fingers slide off.

An improvement of this situation is described in French Pat. No.741.988. A tear spot has a notch provided in a sealed edge of a knownpackage which is flanked on each side by a grip hole. This does improvegripping capacity of the tear spot, but it still leaves much to bedesired in the case of gloved fingers and a slippery coating on thegloves.

WO 94/28837 describes a different solution for this problem, in whichthe fingers are prevented from slipping off by creating a coarse surfacein the opening area of the package. For this, however, it is necessaryto incorporate additional foreign materials, which on the one hand leadsto increased costs and on the other hand makes a recycling of thepackage more difficult or even impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

On the basis of this state of the art, it is an object of the presentinvention to improve and further embody a package of a tear open typeindicated to overcome the difficulties and technical limits indicatedabove and especially to enable a safe and quick tearing-open of thepackage for a rapid access to a packaged product without use ofauxiliary means such as knives or scissors.

The object is achieved according to the invention in a package of thetype described above in that contours of punch-outs, apertures, formedby punching, in the vicinity of a notch or groove in a sealed area areat least partially serrated.

The choice of a serrated contour of the punch-outs very advantageouslyand in a very uncomplicated and economically favorable way provides forsecure contact by the fingers when gripping the sealed seam or seamswith the fingertips and reliably prevents a gliding-off of thefingertips, so that the package can be torn open safely and quicklywithout auxiliary means such as knives or scissors.

At least one punch-out is provided according to the invention; however,two punch-outs can also preferably be provided on the right and leftsides of the weakening.

Embodiments of the invention include at least one punch out assigned toa notch or groove in a sealed seam or in an area of overlap of sealedseams, according to the following examples.

If, e.g., a package has a longitudinal seam in addition to a cross-seam,the equipment can be provided in the area where the cross-seam and thelongitudinal seam overlap.

If a punch-out with a closed punch line is chosen, this results in anopen perforation of the sealed seam. If the punch line is not closed,the punch-out remains at the punched site and can be moved from thepunching plane in a hinged manner, through which the function of agripping and opening aid is also fulfilled. The punch-out is preferablycircular, but it can also be polygonal or strip-shaped.

The punch-out preferably has a size which enables the introduction of ahuman finger. Its size should at least correspond to the tactile surfaceof a human fingertip.

In all cases, the contour of the punch-out is at least partiallyserrated, through which a significant improvement of the gripping andopening aid is achieved. The effect can be increased by bending theserration out of the punching plane and thus creating a considerablystronger slipping inhibitor.

Further details and advantages of the invention become evident in thefollowing description of an embodiment example shown in the attacheddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a view of a part of a sachet-shaped package with a sealedcross-seam and a notch as well as two punch-outs next to the notch;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the area of the punch-out alongthe sectional plane II—II in FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 shows a view of a serrated punch-out in the area of overlap of across-seam and a longitudinal seam;

FIG. 4 shows a view of a part of a package with a sealed cross-seam anda notch as well as at least one polygonal punch-out; and

FIG. 5 shows a view of a part of a package with a sealed cross-seam anda notch as well as srtipped shapedl punch-out.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment example according to FIG. 1 shows a section of asachet-shaped, bag type, tear-open package 20 with a sealed cross-seam 1arranged in its transverse side. The sealed cross-seam has a notch 3 astearing aid. Punch-outs, apertures, 5 are provided at both sides of thisnotch 3 as additional gripping and opening aids. Embodied according tothe invention, a plurality of rims 4 of these punch-outs have an atleast partially serrated contour 6. Unlike embodiments with smooth rims,this leads, in a very uncomplicated and economically favorable way, to aconsiderable improvement of the slipping resistance and a secure contactof the fingers when the package is gripped, and a gliding-off of thefingertips is prevented, so that the package 20 can be torn open safelyand quickly without auxiliary means such as knives or scissors. Thus, apackaged product 10 is immediately exposed and can be removed.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the torn-open packaging bag 20 with thepackaged material 10 contained therein in a state ready to be removed.The punch-out 5, and a rim 4 of the plurality of rims of which isembodied with a serrated contour 6, can be seen in cross-sectional view.The serrated contour is at least partially bent out of the plane of thesealed border seam 1 in a way that makes it especially easy to grip.

FIG. 3 shows a partial view of the package 20 according to the inventionwith a punch-out 5 in an area of overlap of the sealed cross-seam 1 anda sealed longitudinal seam 2. The serrated contour 6 which is bentforward out of the plane of the seam 2 is clearly discernible. Thepunch-out has a size which e.g. enables the introduction of a humanfinger. The size of the punch-out 5 should at least correspond to thetactile surface of a human fingertip. Such a punch-out 5 can be round,but it can also be polygonal or strip-shaped as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

All in all, it can be gathered from the drawings and descriptions thatthe invention is effective, uncomplicated and extremely economical. Aslipping-off of the fingers is reliably prevented even when wearinggloves with slippery material adhering to them, so that a packageembodied according to the invention can be spontaneously ripped open ina safe and quick manner e.g. in an operating room under the moredifficult conditions prevailing therein. Thus, the invention achievesthe object indicated above in an ideal way.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bag-type package to be torn for easy access toa packaged product comprising at least one sealed seam with a weakeningin the form of a notch or groove as a tearing aid, wherein the at leastone sealed seam defines at least one aperture as an additional grippingand opening aid disposed next to the weakening, and wherein the at leastone aperture has a rim with an at least partially serrated contour. 2.The bag-type package of claim 1, wherein the at least one apertureincludes two apertures with rims with the at least partially serratedcontour that are assigned to the notch or groove in the at least onesealed seam.
 3. The bag-type package of claim 1, further comprising atleast one longitudinal seam, the at least one sealed seam and the atleast one longitudinal seam overlap and wherein the at least oneaperture is provided in an area of the overlap between the at least onesealed seam and the at least one longitudinal seam.
 4. The bag-typepackage of claim 3, wherein the at least partially serrated contour isbent out of a plane of the at least one longitudinal seam and protrudestherefrom.
 5. The bag-type package of claim 1, wherein the at leastpartially serrated contour is at least partially bent out of a plane ofthe at least one sealed seam and protrudes therefrom.
 6. The bag-typepackage of claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture has a size whichenables introduction of a human finger.
 7. The bag-type package of claim1, wherein the at least one aperture has a size which corresponds to ahuman fingertip.
 8. The bag-type package of claim 1, wherein the atleast one aperture is round.
 9. The bag-type package of claim 1, whereinthe at least one aperture is polygonal.
 10. The bag-type package ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one aperture is strip-shaped.
 11. Thebag-type package of claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture is formedby punching.
 12. A package permitting tearing thereof for easy openingcomprising: at least one sealed seam having an edge weakening formed asone of a notch and a groove which functions as a tearing aid; said atleast one sealed seam defines at least one aperture disposed next to theedge weakening; and said at least one aperture has a rim having at leasta contoured portion deformed to protrude from a plane of said at leastone sealed seam to permit gripping of the rim.
 13. The package of claim12 wherein said contoured portion is serrated.
 14. The package of claim13 wherein said at least one aperture is formed by punching.
 15. Thepackage of claim 14, wherein: the at least one aperture includes twoapertures with rims with at least one contoured portion deformed toprotrude from the plane of said at least one sealed seam; and the twoapertures are respectively disposed adjacement opposing sides of theedge weakening.
 16. The package of claim 12, wherein: the at least oneaperture includes two apertures with rims with at least one contouredportion deformed to protrude from the plane of said at least one sealedseam; and the two apertures are respectively disposed adjacementopposing sides of the edge weakening.
 17. The package of claim 16wherein said contoured portion is serrated.
 18. The package of claim 16wherein said at least one aperture is formed by punching.
 19. Thebag-type package of claim 12, wherein the at least one aperture has asize which enables introduction of a human finger.
 20. The bag-typepackage of claim 12, wherein the at least one aperture has a size whichcorresponds to a human fingertip.